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Futerman
Partners LLP Privacy Policy
Futerman Partners LLP recognizes the
importance of privacy and the sensitivity of
personal information. As lawyers we have a
professional obligation to keep confidential all
information we receive within a lawyer-client
relationship. We are committed to protecting any
personal information we hold. This Privacy
Policy outlines how we manage your personal
information and safeguard your privacy.
Your Privacy Rights
From January 1, 2004, all businesses engaged
in commercial activities must comply with the
Personal Information Protection and Electronic
Documents Act and the Canadian Standards
Association Model Code for the Protection of
Personal Information, which it incorporates.
These obligations extend to lawyers and law
firms, including Futerman Partners LLP. The Act
gives you rights concerning the privacy of your
personal information.
Futerman Partners LLP is responsible for the
personal information we collect and hold. To
ensure this accountability, we have developed
this policy, and trained our lawyers and support
staff about our policies and practices.
Why Does Futerman
Partners LLP Need Personal Information
Futerman Partners LLP provides legal services
to a wide range of clients. If we did not
collect and use your personal information we
could not provide you with legal services.
What personal information do
we collect?
Personal information is any information that
identifies you, or by which your identity could
be deduced.
How do we collect your
personal information?
We collect information only by lawful and
fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive
way.
Wherever possible we collect your personal
information directly from you, at the start of a
retainer and in the course of our
representation.
Sometimes we may obtain information about you
from other sources: for example,
- your insurance company;
- your treating health practitioners;
- from a government agency or registry;
- your employer;
- your accountant.
Consent
In most cases, we shall ask you to
specifically consent, if we collect, use, or
disclose your personal information. Normally, we
ask for your consent in writing, but in some
circumstances, we may accept your oral consent.
Sometimes, your consent may be implied through
your conduct with us.
Use of Your Information
We use your personal information primarily to
provide legal advice and services to you or to
administer our client (time and billing)
databases. 2
Disclosure of your
Personal Information
Under certain circumstances, Futerman
Partners LLP will disclose your personal
information:
- when we are required or authorized by
law to do so, for example if a court issues
a subpoena;
- when you have consented to the
disclosure;
- when the legal services we are providing
to you requires us give your information to
third parties your consent will be implied,
unless you tell us otherwise;
- where it is necessary to establish or
collect fees;
- if we engage a third party to provide
administrative services to us (like computer
back-up services or archival file storage)
and the third party is bound by our privacy
policy;
- if we engage expert witnesses on your
behalf;
- if we retain other law firms in other
jurisdictions, on your behalf;
- if the information is already publicly
known.
Updating Your
Information
Since we use your personal information to
provide legal services to you, it is important
that the information be accurate and up-to-date.
If during the course of the retainer, any of
your information changes, please inform us so
that we can make any necessary changes.
Is My Personal
Information Secure?
Futerman Partners LLP takes all reasonable
precautions to ensure that your personal
information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized
access, modification or disclosure. Among the
steps taken to protect your information are:
- premises security;
- restricted file access to personal
information;
- deploying technological safeguards like
security software and firewalls to prevent
hacking or unauthorized computer access;
- internal password and security policies.
Access to Your Personal
Information
You may ask for access to any personal
information we hold about you.
Summary information is available on request.
More detailed requests which require archive or
other retrieval costs may be subject to our
normal professional and disbursement fees.
Correcting Errors
If Futerman Partners LLP holds information
about you and you can establish that it is not
accurate, complete and up-to-date, Futerman
Partners LLP will take reasonable steps to
correct it.
Can I be Denied Access to My
Personal Information?
Your rights to access your personal
information are not absolute.
We may deny access when:
- denial of access is required or
authorized by law (for example, when a
record containing personal information about
you is subject to a claim of legal
professional privilege by one of our
clients);
- information relates to existing or
anticipated legal proceedings against you;
- when granting you access would have an
unreasonable impact on other people's
privacy;
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when to do so would
prejudice negotiations with you;
- to protect our firm's rights and
property;
- where the request is frivolous or
vexatious.
- If we deny your request for access to,
or refuse a request to correct information,
we shall explain why.
Can I request anonymity?
Whenever it is legal and practicable, we may
offer the opportunity to deal with general
inquiries without providing your name (for
example, by accessing general information on our
website).
Certain laws require us to confirm the
identity of our clients. It may also require us
disclose information to FINTRAC in relation to
certain large cash transactions.
Credit Bureaus
To help us make credit decisions about
clients, prevent fraud, confirm the identity of
new clients and prevent money-laundering, we may
on occasion, request information about you from
the files of consumer reporting agencies.
Communicating with Us
You should be aware that e-mail is not a 100%
secure medium, and you should be aware of this
when contacting us to send personal or
confidential information.
Changes to this Privacy
Policy
Since Futerman Partners LLP regularly reviews
all of its policies and procedures, we may
change our Privacy Policy from time to time.
Requests for Access
If you have any questions, or wish to access
your personal information, please write to us
at:
Futerman Partners LLP
Lawyers
45 St. Clair Ave. W., Suite 702
Toronto, ON M4V 1K9
If you are not satisfied with our response,
the Privacy Commissioner of Canada can be
reached at:
112 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H3
1.800.282.1376
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